I am enrolling at Hogwart’s next semester.
Well, not really, but I have told myself for a couple of months that I need to finish reading the rest of the Harry Potter series of books. Although the originality of the basic plotline can be contended (I think it is a bit like Tolkien toned down), there is no way that anyone can argue the success and rabid popularity of the 7 book series. The fact that J.K. Rowling, the author behind the Harry Potter universe, is among one of the most translated authors in history is a testament to the worldwide appeal of these books. At last count, the series had 63 languages to its credit (Maul, 2005). Book sales have been estimated at over 400 million copies across the entire series (Flood, 2008). With numbers like this, it is no wonder that Rowling is cited as the highest-earning novelist in history, giving rise to a franchise that is valued at 15 billion dollars.
With the addition of each new book, midnight release parties have been held at bookstores nationwide. During these events, children and adults alike dressed as their favorite characters from the series and waited in line to be the first to read about the latest adventures of Harry Potter and friends. The final book in the series was released July 21, 2007 under much secrecy, although it seems that there wasn’t quite enough. One distributor, Levy Home Entertainment and DeepDiscounts.com have been named in a lawsuit brought by Scholastic, the US publisher of the Potter series, for releasing the book on July 18; a full 3 days before the release date. This error allowed some to try and cash in on the frenzy surrounding the final installment of the series – one copy found its way to eBay for $175 and a series of digital pictures of the book were selling for $100 (MSNBC staff, 2007).
As a fan of the fantasy genre, I am excited to see resurgence in the interest by the general public and the growth of this pop sub-culture. With more popular fantasy book series’ being turned into movies, including the Lord of the Rings series, the Chronicles of Narnia and Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, things are looking up for the future of fantasy.
Resources:
Flood, Alison (2008). Potter tops 400 million sales. Retrieved July 9, 2008 from
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/61161-page.html
Maul, Kimberly (2005). Guinness World Records: L. Ron Hubbard Is the Most Translated
Author. Book Standard, retrieved July 8, 2008 from
http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4402645-1.html
MSNBC staff (2007). Distributor mails final Potter book early. Retrieved July 9, 2008 from
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19816389/
1 comment:
Andrew - I must confess I have not read Harry Potter nor have I seen any of the movies. Both of my nieces are big fans as are my two sisters. I suppose I am missing something by not being clued in (I definitely can not participate in their Harry Potter conversations). Maybe after I finish school I can get back to leisure reading and will pick up a Harry Potter book.
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